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Robert Walter

Robert Walter is an accomplished keyboardist and composer. He plays Piano, Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes. While touring extensively in the US and Europe, he has worked as a leader and sideman with many of the giants of American jazz and funk music. As a member of the classic band the Greyboy Allstars he has built a large and devoted following. He also works as a session musician, recording and collaborating with a diverse group of artists and on many film scores.

Flyjack

In an interview which is widely available on youtube, legendary funk percussionist Jab'o Starks explains the James Brown sound in raw terms - "for the beat, you hit the 'ONE' to say we're here!" He ought to know – as Browns' drummer, he was the co-architect of such classic hits as "Sex Machine," "The Payback," and "Super Bad," securing for himself a place in the funk Hall of Fame. In 2009, FLYJACK's bassist Brad Bradburn formed a friendship with Starks, and asked him to perform on the group's first release for Hammondbeat Records. The result is "On the One" – an EP so heavy with 70's funk power you may need a forklift to get it home.

FLYJACK is the brainchild of guitarist Buck McKinney and bassist Brad Bradburn – former members of the groundbreaking Austin, Texas instrumental funk group Gnappy, which released three critically-acclaimed albums from 2001 through 2006. Named for the Richard "Groove" Holmes song of the same title, FLYJACK draws its inspiration from the hard-hitting funk of the late 60's and early 70's – bands like the JBs, Mandrill, Rufus and the Bar-Kays. Joining FLYJACK for "On The One" are Italian Hammond B-3 maestro/Hammondbeat Records label-mate Paolo "Apollo" Negri , and electrifying Austin, Texas vocalist Tameca Jones.

"One the One" kicks-off with the title track, featuring Starks' lean stick-work, percolating Wurlitzer, and a hook that digs in deep. Barn Burner is a chunky dance floor workout with soaring vocals, pulsating bass, ominous horns and a psychedelic mono-synth outro. James Brown classic Ain't It Funky Now is fueled by amazing solo performances from Negri, McKinney and the Hellfire Horns – clocking-in at an epic 6 minutes. Tell Me What You Want ups the dance floor ante with a heavy four-on-the-floor beat, dueling vocals, echo-driven guitar and seductive Fender Rhodes. The record ends with an alternate version of On the One – a heavy-strutting, Rufus-influenced affair conceived by Starks during rehearsals for the EP – the perfect ending to this funk masterpiece.